Francis arthur mills



(l Io Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' P. A. MILLS.

NEEDLE GUIDE FOR SEWING MAGHINES.

E No. 551,987 Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

WITNESSES. INVENTOH ANDREW B BRAHM'LPNOTOUTHO WASHINbTON DC' 7 (NoModel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet}.

. P. A. MILLS. NEEDLE GUIDE FOR SEWING- MACHINES.

No. 551,987. Patented Dec. 24, 1895.

f V Y 30 I, TNESSES" %////I////////// v amvnd UNITED STATES FFICE.

PATENT FRANCIS ARTHUR MILLS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO JAMES MUNDELL, OF SAME PLACE.

SP ECIFICATION fOrmingpart of Letters Patent N0. 551,987, dated December24:, 1895. Application filed. April 17, 1895. Serial No.'546,129. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS ARTHUR MILLS,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the countyof Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Need1e-Guides, of which the following is aspecification.

In sole-sewing machines in which a curved barbed needle operates with areciprocating I o movement in co-operation with a looper-fingeroperating in a circular path around the nee dle and in which the needlealternately enters the work to draw the loop of thread through thebetween substance in uniting the upper with the sole it is important toguide and to support the needle while advancing and penetrating thebetween substance, so that the needle will be prevented from being bentor sprung and will act with certainty in placing and firmly tighteningthe stitches in the channel of the sole. For supporting and guidingthe'needle as it enters the stock a needle-guide has been used, andto-render this guide more certain in its function to maintain its properposition in relation to the point of the needle to support the samewhile piercing the work and to keep it in proper shape,

so that the guide will always move with it and the needle will piercethe hole in the work in the proper place in relation to the shoulder andchannel of the sole, is the object and purpose of my improvement. Forobtaining these objects I provide within an axial bore in the bearing onwhich the needle-carrier is mount- 3 5 ed an arm extending at one endoutside of said bearing and having a return end arranged to engage theback of the needle-guide, the other end of said arm engaging the otherend of said bearing by a spring which acts by torsion to turn the armand thereby to maintain a constant pressure of its return end againstthe needle-guide to keep it in proper relation with the point of theneedle. This construction allows the bearing 5, on which the needle- 4 5guide is loosely mounted, to be turned in its seat in the sewing-head towind the torsional spring, which, by its connection with the armed rod26, causes the latter to press the needle-guide forward, and the forceof the spring can thereby be regulated as desired to maintain the properaction of the needleguide. This construction also gives the ad-' vantageof placing the spring at the outer side of the sewing-head and ofsecuring the needle-carrier in the latter by means which permits theturning of said bearing in its seat to adjust the tension of the spring.

The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,represent the needle, its carrier and guide, and so much of asewing-machine as illustrates the application and use of my invention inthe form in which I prefer to employit; but it will be understood thatmy invention is not limited to the precise form herein shown anddescribed, as va- 6 5' rious modifications maybe made without departingfrom its spirit and without exceeding the scope of the concludingclaims.

Referring tothe accompanying drawings, Figure 1 shows in verticallongitudinal eleva- 7c tion so much of a sewing-machine as illustratesthe embodiment therein of my improvement in the needle-guide and itsrelation to operating connections therefor. Fig.

2 shows the needle-carrier, the needle and the 7 5 needle-guide, theposition of the needle being that of its extreme backward movement andthe needle-guide in position to support the needle. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection; of a part of the sewing-head and shows in sectional frontelevation the bearing 15 for the needlecarrier and the needle-guide, theconnection of the latter with the arm 27 of the rod 26 and theconnection of the torsional spring with said bearing and armed rod, theparts being 8 5 in their respective relations seen in Fig. 2 and theline of said section taken through the seat of said bearing. Fig.etshows a front view of Fig. 2, showing the fixed stop-pin in thesewing-head for limiting the forward movement 0 of the needle-guide, asseen in Fig. 6. Fig. 5

is a view like Fig. 2, showing the needle in the position it occupieswhen about to enter the work and the needle-guide in position to supportthe needle. Fig. 6 is a similar view show- 5 ing the needle-guide in itsfull forward move ment having been arrested by the fixed stoppin, theneedle being in the positionit occupies when its point has passedthrough the work. Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the needle in itsfull forward position ready to receive the thread to form the next loop.Fig. 8 shows a horizontal section of the bearing of the needle-guide andthe arm therein for operating the needle-guide, and Fig. 9 shows theneedle-carrier parts separated.

Referring to Fig. 1, so much of the machine as is illustrated isorganized after the construction shown and described in my patent ofAugust 14, 1894, No. 524,336, and it is to such machines that my presentinvention is adapted for use; but it is obvious that my invention forneedle-guides can be applied for use with other forms and constructionsof ma chines. The sewing mechanism is mounted in a housing structure orhead 1 at the front end of a supporting-frame 2, within or upon which ismounted suitable cam-cylinders 3 for operating the several members ofthe mechanism employed in sewing with the loopstitch. As suchloop-stitch-formin g mechanism is well understood, it is deemedunnecessary to particularly describe the elements or members thereof ortheir operation. brief designation, however, of the elements of suchmechanism is deemed necessary in connection with my present improvement,and for v such mechanism more particularly reference is made to my saidpatent.

The needle 4 is of the curved barbed construction and is supported by aguide 30 and is fitted in a carrier 5, which is mounted to I have areciprocating movement in the are of a circle in a space between thewalls. 0 6 and at the lower end of the sewing-head or hous- In front ofthe needle a have an oscillating movement in front of,,

across the path of and around the eye or barb thereof. A back-gage 9 andslide-rest 10 support the lasted shoe in position to the sewingmechanism, while the feed-lever 11 is mounted to operate in the channelof the sole to feed the work between each stitch, the work being held bythe feed-lever and the back-gage while the needle is moving to enter andto draw the loop through the between substance.

The machine is provided with suitable waxing and heating devices, whichmay be mounted upon or at the rear end of the machine, while the tensiondevice may be mounted upon the top of the sewing-head above thelooper-arm, so that the conduit 12 containing the waxing-tube for thethread 13 will pass from the wax-pot in a straight line to the tensiondevice to deliver the waxed thread in close proximity to thetension-wheel 14:.

The needle-carrier 5 is mounted to move loosely upon a bearing 15,fitted in a horizontal position in a hole in one of the vertical sideplates 16 of the sewing-head. In this position this bearing is held fromturning by a clamp-screw 17, entering the left side plate 16 of thesewing-head and abutting upon the bottom of a circumferential groove 18,Figs. 3 and 4c, in said bearing, whereby the latter can be turned in itsseat for a purpose which I shall presently state.

The carrier-bearing extends across this space between the verticalplates 10 at the front and bottom of the sewing-head, and theneedle-carrier is fitted loosely upon the said bearing, so as to have anoscillating movement thereon with a close fit upon and between the innerwalls of the said side plate. A preferred construction of thisneedle-carrier is of like plate parts 19 19, to one of which the needleis clamped so that its barbed end will project beyond the lower side ofthe carrier. The plate parts are each recessed on their inner faces, sothat when secured together the recessed parts form cheeks 20 20, betweenwhich the pitman-rod 21 is pivoted in direct longitudinal line with theneedle, so that there is no side strain or unequal wear on the carrier.These cheek parts are fitted to move closely between the walls 6 6 ofthe sewing head plates, which thereby serve as guides for supporting theupper end of the needle-carrier, prevent undue strain and wear upon thebearing of said carrier and give a firm movement to the needle inpiercing the work.

The bearing 15 of the carrier is cylindrical and is fitted in acorresponding hole or seat in the sewing-head plate wherein it is heldso that it can be turned. This bearing projects across the space betweenthe plates of the sewing-head to receive the carrier. The other end ofthe bearing projects slightly beyond the outer wall of its seat forconnection by a torsional spring with the device which operates theneedle-guide. At its seat upon the bearing 15 the needle-carrier isformed withrecesses 23 23 on the inner walls of its plates to receivethe eyed end 24: of the needleguide, which is loosely fitted upon saidbearing, so that the needle-guide and the needlecarrier will operatetogether and also independently of each other upon the fixed bearing.

The eyed end of the needle-guide has a stop 25 placed to be struck bythe carrier at its shoulder 31 when it is moved forward, as in Figs. 2and 5, by its connected pitman-rod 21 to give an inward or retractingmovement to the needle-guide, to follow the needle, which passes througha hole in the guide, back in its function of bracing and guiding it, asseen in Fig. 2.

For keeping the guide in proper relation to the barb of the needle Iprovide the following means: In the bearing for the carrier I make anaxial bore open at both ends, Fig. 8, and therein fit an arm 26, whichpasses through and beyond the bore at both ends. At its inner'end thisarm has a return-bend 27, forming a short arm outside of the bearing 15of the carrier and in position to engage with the inner side of theneedle-guide.

At its outer end this arm 26 has a coiled needle.

spring 22, one end of which connects with the said arm and its other endwith the bearing 15 of the needle-guide, which gives the spring atorsional action upon the arm 26, which is thereby constantly pressed byits return-bend 27 against the needle-guide to maintain it in properposition to support the needle. The spring extends within a recess inthe end of the bearing 15 and engages a slot therein. (See Fig. 8.) Asecond lower stop 28 on the eyed end of the needle-guide'is placed inposition to engage stop 29, fixed to and projecting inward from thesewing-head plate, whereby the forward movement of the needle-guide islimited in its guiding and supporting function for the needle, as seenin Figs. 6 and '7.

In the operation of the machine the needlecarrier is caused to have anoscillating movement and operates the needle in a circular path. Theneedle guide moves with and upon the needle to guide and support itwhile piercing the work. .In this function it is shown in Figs. 6 and 7in its full forward position, having been arrested by the stop 28 29,and in such position the guide has supported the needle while it enteredand passed through the work. In Fig. 5 the needleguide is shown inposition to support the needle when commencing to pierce the work. InFig. 2 the needle and its guide are shown in their full backwardposition. In Fig. 7 both the needle and its guide are shown in theirforward position. In the forward movement of the needle the torsionalspring 22 carries the needle-guide 3O forward until it reaches the pointshown in Fig. 6, where it is stopped by the stop 28 in its eyed endcoming in contact with the stop 29 in the sewing-head. The needlecontinues its forward movement to the position seen in Fig. 7 which isits full forward movement, and at this point the looper-finger threadsthe The needle then moves back to the position shown in Fig. 6, leavingthe needleguide at rest by the action of the torsionspring, until thecarrier-shoulder 31 comes in contact with the stop 25 on the eyed end ofthe guide, and carries the latter back against the torsional action ofthe spring until the guide reaches the position shown in Fig. which isthe full backward movement of the needle-carrier, needle and its guide,the loop having been pulled in and the stitch set. From the positionshown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 6 the torsional action ofthe spring has forced the needle-guide forward to its full limit inrelation to the point of the needle, while the latter continues itsforward movement to the position shown in Fig. 7, leaving at rest theneedle-guide. By placing the spring 22 on the end of the guide operatingarm 26 gives the advantage of adjusting the spring to increase itsforce, and gives a convenient way'of applying it, the end 32 of saidbearing having a screw-head for turning it.

From the foregoing it will be seen that while the needle-guide is moving forward from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown inFig. 6, and while the guide is moving backward from the position shownin Fig.

6 to the position shown in Fig. 2, it is between the extremes of suchmovements that the needle-guide is controlled in its relation to theneedle-point and moved forward by the torsional action of the spring.

I It is evident that immaterial changes may be permitted from thegeneral construction and arrangement of parts contributing toward myinvention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself in precise detail and construction.

The devices which I have described for turning the bearing 15 in itsseat and for clamping it fast to the sewing-head by the screw 17 in thesewing-head, Fig. 4c, and the circumferential groove 18 in said bearing(seen'in Fig. 3) are for the purpose of winding the spring to increaseits tension and to regulate the force with which it causes the armed rodto bear against the needle-guide, as seen in Fig. 8. I prefer to groovethe bearing to receive the end of the clamp-screw, because the latterthereby holds the bearing in its true relation to its seat and preventsthe screw from burring the bearing, and allows it to be easily removedwhen necessary to remove the needle-carrier.

I claim as my improvement- 1. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination,with the needle, a carrier therefor and a needle-guide, of a fixedbearing for said carrier and needle guide, having an axial bore open atboth ends, an arm loosely fitting said bore and having an externalreturn end engaging said needle-guide and a spring connecting the otherend of said axial-arm with said bearing for moving the needle-guideforward and suitable means for moving said guide backward against thetorsional action of the spring for the purpose stated.

2. In a shoe sewing machine, the needlecarrier loosely mounted on afixed bearing and a'needle-guide also loosely mounted on said bearingand having stops 25 and'28 on its bearing end, in combination with anarm loosely mounted in an axial-bore of said bearing and adapted toengage said needle-guide, a fixed stop 29 and a spring connecting saidbearing and axial arm for effecting the forward movement of saidneedle-guide for the purpose stated.

3. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination, with the needle, itscarrier and a fixed bearing therefor, of a needle-guide and an armloosely fitted in an axial bore of the said fixed bearing, having areturn arm 27 engaging said needleguide, and a spring coiled upon saidaxial arm and connecting it with the said fixed bearing, whereby toexert a torsional force upon said axial arm for the purpose stated.

4. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination, with the needle, a carriertherefor, and

vIIQ

the needle-guide, a fixed tubular-bearing for the carrier and guide andan armed-rod Within said bearing adapted to engage the needleguide, of aspring coiled upon said rod and connected to turn it in said bearing,and a stop-pin 29 in the sewing-head adapted to engage said guide forthe purpose stated.

5. The combination in a shoe sewing machine, of the needlecarrier, theneedle-guide and a bearing therefor having a circumferential groove andan axial bore open at both ends, an arm loosely fitting Within saidbore, a spring Wound upon and connecting respectively the end of the armand the end of the bearing, the other end of said arm having an externalreturn bend, and a screw for engagin g the bearing groove whereby thetorsional force of the spring may be adjusted and the bearing fixed inits relation to said spring and arm.

6. In a shoe sewing machine, the combination, With the needle a carriertherefor and the needle-guide, of a fixed tubular-bearing on which thecarrier and said guide are loosely fitted, a rod seated loosely Withinand passing through said bearing and having its end engaging the guide,the other end of said rod having a spring connecting said rod and fixedbearing, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

FRANCIS ARTHUR MILLS.

\Vitnesses EUGENE ZIEGLER, THOMAS WV. BINKER.

